Astrophotography is growing rapidly in popularity. Better and more reasonably priced equipment, computer control, and a heightened interest in what is in the night sky have all combined to expand the number of photographers who do night sky imaging. Some create landscapes, better termed “nightscapes,” while others focus on capturing planets, nebulae, and galaxies.
The 2025 Astrophotography Prize has just awarded Ani Shastri (USA) as Photographer of the Year for his 51-hour deep field image of the Squid Nebula, alongside category winners from Italy, Australia, and beyond. This unique competition features live public judging by an international panel of 20 experts and drew 545 entries from 35 countries.
The photo by Gold Winner Ani Shastri was taken from Auberry, California. It represents 51 and a half hours of exposure, which of course took several nights to complete. He did his work at a remote observatory, where photographers can book time on large professional-grade telescopes while operating them from a computer at home. Ani used a PlaneWave CDK350 telescope and a ZWO ASI6200MM camera.
His winning image is SH2-129, sometimes called the Squid Nebula.
Other
Other winners included a stunning image of Comet 12P Pons-Brooks taken in June Lake, California, by Dan Bartlett, made with a Celestron C14 telescope and a Starizona adaptor to give a wide field of view.
Another winning image is a 360-degree panorama showing the arch of the Milky Way stretching across the sky above the volcanic landscape of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The photographer is Matteo Strassera. The image was taken with a Canon R5 and a Sigma 14mm f/1.4 Art lens.
This recognition should encourage more photographers to give astrophotography a try. Almost any DSLR with a fast lens and access to dark skies can produce superb images.
If you want to see all the winning images, and there are a lot, here’s a link. Prepare to be amazed, humbled, and inspired.